© Ellen Barone. Xuantunich, BelizeWe all want our travels to have a positive impact on the world. Find out how you can support countries working to maintain strong environmental, social, and human rights values. Ethical Travel’s 2010 edition of “The Developing World’s Best Ethical Destinations” lists 10 countries you can feel great about visiting.
READ THE FULL REPORT
Source: EthicalTravel.org
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
Is traveling with your sister on vacation a recipe for disaster? It doesn’t have to be as long as you lay down some ground rules first. Here are a few travel-tested truths for keeping peace in the sister hood.
- Leave the baggage at home. Traveling with sisters should be easy. You carry the same DNA. You’re alike. Right? Wrong. Sibling relationships can be fraught with the peril of childhood roles, divergent interests and unspoken resentments. So, no matter if you’re the big sis used to being in charge or the baby accustomed to being indulged, leave the birth-order baggage at home. Commit to appreciating each other as you are NOW and let the magic begin. The bonds born out of the shared experience of upbringing is like nothing you can ever have with a friend, partner or coworker. Let it blossom.
- Privatize: Allow for private time in your itinerary. Even if you and your sister(s) are BFF, heading off on separate adventures gives you something to chat about when you regroup. Compare wish lists and decide which activities are best suited to individual exploration. If you love tromping through museums and castles and she thinks the perfect vacation is watching life from the seat of a café table, then one of you is going to be disappointed or resentful. Make time to break away and do your own thing. It will enhance your experience and the quality of time spent together.
- Get thee to chocolate. Not much sweetens a disagreement or hurt feelings better than chocolate. If you start to get snarky, or she does,
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
a guest blog by Peggy Coonley of Serendipity Traveler
Stressed out on vacation? Help! THAT wasn’t in the brochure!
Here are 10 wise tips to help you better enjoy your next vacation…
- Let go of all expectations
- Be open to surprises
- Take walks wherever you are
- Pack exceptionally light
- Find blessings in all disguises
- Arrive early at Airport, Train, or Bus
- Remember what really matters
- Mindfully create positive memories
- Keep well rested
- Let go of all perfection
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
So which countries are you packing your bags for? Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2010 is out now and they’re naming the top 10 countries to visit next year.
Do you think they got it right? Have your say.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
My husband and I are thinking of cycling through Europe next March. Where would you recommend we start? - Stacey M. 
Hi Stacey, Thanks for touching base. It’s good to hear from you after our meet up in Baja.
A European biking vacation sounds fabulous. I just spent an invigorating week at the Adventure Travel World Summit with some of the world’s best outfitters ,a few who specialize in just that sort of trip. A personal favorite, Ciclismo Classico, based in Massachusetts and owned by female dynamo, Lauren Hefferon, comes immediately to mind. I cycled with them in Sicily and am thrilled to be traveling again with them in Norway in 2010. Check out their innovative menu of trip offerings at www.ciclismoclassico.com
Another longtime adventure travel favorite, and recently voted World’s Best Tour Company by readers at Travel + Leisure, is Austin-Lehman Adventures.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
article via partner site Divine Caroline by Emily Goligoski
When the Australian university I was studying abroad at announced a two-week fall break, three expat friends and I rushed to plan a road trip up the east coast of Oz. Before we departed, we fantasized about Sydney nightlife and tested how many bathing suits we could fit in our backpacks. While the trip did include great nights out and beautiful scuba diving, the day-to-day enjoyment was disrupted by disagreements about who paid for what, who had to drive on the “other side” of the road, and trips to hospitals with one of our companions, the extent of whose alcoholism was unknown to the rest of us. Had we had more discussions about splitting responsibilities and what we each wanted to get out of the trip, more of us might still be in touch now.
Clearly, there are more than a few headaches that can arise from going to new places with good friends, but they can usually be nipped in the bud or downplayed with a few honest discussions and planning.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".